William a



(No Model.)

W. A. TURNER.

DIE FOR SHAPING SHEET METAL.

No. 451,203. Patented Apr. 28, 1891.

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witnesses @513 Qitozwu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM A. TURNER, OF VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO EDMUNDCONVERSE, OF SAME PLACE.

DIE FOR SHAPING SHEET METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,203, dated April28, 1891.

Application filed September 18,1890. Serial No. 365,367. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. TURNER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of iVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dies forCutting and Shaping Sheet Metal, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of the same, and in which Figure 1 represents a front elevationof a die-press with a set of dies contained therein embodying myinvent-ion, the table of the press, together with the stationary die andthe die-dish supporting the die, being shown in vertical centralsectional view. Fig. 2 represents a vertical central sectional view ofthe stationary die, with a central sectional View of the upperreciprocating die, and representing a blank in sectional view inposition to be acted upon by the upper and the stationary dies. Fig. 3represents similar views of the upper and stationary dies, with asectional view of the lower reciprocating die, the position of the threedies being that assumed at the completion of'the operation upon thesheetmetal blank. Fig. 4 is a top view of the stationary die. Fig. 5 isa vertical central sectional view of the stationary die; and Fig. 6 is avertical central sectional view of the lower reciprocating die, takenupon a plane at right angles to that shown in Fig. 3.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

The object of my invention is to provide a set of dies which, operatedin a die-press of common and well known construction, will performseveral distinct operations upon the .o ,sheet-metal blank during asingle movement of the dies, which have heretofore required two or moresets of dies and as many separate operations of the die-press, and alsoto provide means for the renewal of the cuttingedges of the dies bywhich the edge of the blank is trimmed.

A denotes the framework of the die-pressg B, the actuating-shaft,provided with a crank B and a cam B G is a pivoted lever actuated by thecam B through the link D. The oscillations of the pivoted lever C imparta reciprocating movement to the lower reciprocating die E, and the crank13 serves to impart a reciprocating movement to the upper die F in themanner common in machines of this class having what is known as an upperand under motion.

G denotes the table supporting the die-dish H, which is provided with ashoulder H, upon which rests a stationary die which acts, in conjunctionwith the upper reciprocating die F, to shape the sheet-metal blank inthe usual manner, the stationary die serving as the female die and theupper die F as the male die, and the sheetanetal blank being pressedinto the form determined by the shape of the dies F and J, which in theaccompanying drawings is represented as dish-shaped with slightlyflaringsides. The stationary die J consists of a block having a hole with itswalls corresponding with the desired shape of the blank, and upon theupper surface of the, block is detachably fastened the plate I,concentrically with the hole in the die J, but of slightlygreaterinternal diameter, leaving the shoulder J, which has a sharpcutting-corner J The detachable annular plate I receives the impact ofthe blank as it is being pushed into the die J by the reciprocating dieF, thereby protecting the sharp angular cutting-shoulder J The upper ormale die F consists of a tapering block fitting the hole in thestationary die after the sheet-metal blank hasbeen forced into it. Thetapering block F hasa screw-threaded shank F by which the die isattached to the spindle F The end of the spindle F is larger in diameterthan the end of the die F in contact with it, so as to form a projectingshoulder F forming a sharp cutting-corner at a, Fig. 2. The outerdiameter of the spindle F at the cuttingcorner a is equal to theinnerdiameter of the cutting-corner J upon the shoulder .1,-

so that as the die F is forced into the stationary die 11 thecutting-corner a is brought into contact with the cutting-corner Jcausing' the edge of the sheet metal blank, which extends above thecutting-corners a and J to be severed from the body of the blank,leaving the edge of the completed blank straight. As the sides of theopening in the die J are flaring, it is impossible to move the angularcutting-corner J so as to sever the blank by a shearing cut. Thereforethe corners a and J are made to oppose each other, bringing them intocontact, so as to sever the blank by means of compression. The undersurface of the upper die F is provided with an annular recess K toreceive the lower die E, which consists of a tube provided with theinternal shoulders L, the diameter between the sides of the end of thetube being equal to the inner diameter of the annular chamber K, so thatas the end of the tube forming the die E isforced into the annularchamber K the inner edge of the tubular die E will serve to out out adisk from the center of the sheet-metal blank.

The difference between the outer and inner diameters of the annularchamber K is greater than the thickness of the end of the tubular die E,so as to leave a space into which the inner edge of the sheet-metalblank can be forced by the upward movement of the die E.

The outer edge of the die E is slightly rounded at b, so as not toabrade the surface of the blank as it is forced upward into the chamberK, forming the flange N, Fig. 3. The internal diameter of the tubulardieE is enlarged at L to allow the disk cut from the blank to fall andbe delivered through the side opening L In case the blank has previouslyhad an opening cut in the bottom, a circular recess may be used in placeof the annular chamber K, and the tubular die E can then be made solid,as its only office in such cases would be to form the flange N.

The inner edge of the annular plate I is made flaring to correspond withthe flaring sides of the die J, and as the lower end of thereciprocating die F is of less diameter than the upper end of thetapering opening in the die J the sheet-metal blank resting upon theannular plate I will be forced from its center downward by the action ofthe die F pushing the blank into the tapering opening in the die J anddrawing its outer edges over the upper corners of the annular plate I,as shown in Fig. 2, and preventing the contact of the sheet-metal blankwith the sharp angular corner J 2 until the die F has nearly reached thelimit of its downward movement. This use of the annular plate I servesto protect in a great measure the sharp cuttingangle J The plate I alsoserves to furnish a bearing-surface for the sheet-metal blank by meansof its upper corners, of relatively greater diameter, securing anincrease in the space between the upper corner of the annular plate Iand the lower end of the reciproeating die F, thereby rendering theaction of the dies much easier. By making the annular plate I detachablefrom the die J it can be readily removed, allowing the upper surface ofthe die J to be ground and the angular corner J 2 to be sharpened.

The operation of the dies is as follows: The sheet-metal blank, which inthe present instance has been partially shaped by previous operations,is placed in position to be forced into the stationary die, asrepresented in Fig. 2. The downward movement of the upper die into thestationary die carries the blank down over the edge of the annular plateI into the position shown in Fig. 3, drawing the same and completing theshaping operation, as shown in Fig. 3. The completion of the downwardmovement of the upper die will bring the corner a into contact with thecorner J severing the upper edge of the blank, as shown in Fig. 3,sufficient space being left between the inner edge of the plate I andthe outer surface of the spindle F for the severed edge. The lower die Eis then forced upward into the annular chamber K, cutting out a diskfrom the sheet-metal blank and at the same time turning up the edge, asat N, Fig. 3. The motions of the dies E and F are then re versed andbrought into the positions shown in Fig. 1, ready for the repetition ofthe operation. As the cutting-corners a and J 2 become worn and dulledby use, they can be readily sharpened by removing the plate I andgrinding the upper surface of the die J, and also by removing the upperdie F from the spindle F and grinding across the end of the spindle.

It will be seen that by a single operation of the machine the blank isbrought into the desired shape by the action of the dies F and J. Theupper edge of the blank is trimmed by the action of the cutting-edges aand J The disk is cut from the center of the blank, and the edge aroundthe hole so formed in the blank is turned upward, forming the flange N.

The mechanism shown by which the reciprocating movement is imparted tothe upper and lower dies F and E, is that of the wellknown die-press;but other means can be employed for that purpose, the actuatingmechanism by which the reciprocating dies are moved forming no part ofmy present invention. I

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a die-press, the combination of a die J, provided with a taperedopening and having an upper surface at an angle with the sides of saidtapered opening and forming an angular cuttin gcorner, and areciprocatingdie with tapered sides,whose diameter is less than thediameter of the tapered opening in die J to allow for the compressedblank, said reciprocating die having an angular cutting-corner arrangedto oppose the cutting-corner in said die J, whereby the blank is severedby its compression between said cutting corners, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of a reciprocating spindle F, a die F, removablyattached to said spindle, said spindle overhanging said die thethickness of the completed blank and forming an angular cutting-cornera, and a die J,p1'ovided with a tapered opening and having an uppersurface at an angle with the sides of said tapered opening and formingan angular cutting-corner J said cutting-corners being so disposed as tobe brought into contact by the action of the dies, and thereby sever theblank compressed between them, substantially as described.

3. In a die-press, the combination, with a die provided with an annularrecess, of a tubu-

